By Briahna Gray
I believe in the presumption of innocence. As an
American, a lawyer, and a black woman, I believe it is perhaps the most
important principle in our criminal justice system — a last bulwark
against the structural momentum that incentivizes convictions over
justice and minimizes the value of some lives under the pretext of
protecting others.
The presumption of innocence is, in fact, the fundamental project of
Black Lives Matter. The controversial movement, born from a
controversial hashtag, was intended to elevate black lives not above
others, but so that they are considered equally valuable. It’s a
movement intended to call attention to the fact that some Americans,
disproportionately black and poor, are frequently presumed guilty in
extrajudicial contexts — killed by police officers who rarely face consequences; they are denied due process and the presumption of innocence.
The political right in this country has typically aligned itself
behind law enforcement as a principle, regardless of how faithful
individual officers have been to the duties that come with their
shields. As a result, the presumption of innocence and other
constitutional protections intended to safeguard the life and liberty of
ordinary citizens have been of secondary importance to them, if they
register at all.
That is, until Brett Kavanaugh.
Click here for the full article.
Source: The Intercept_
No comments:
Post a Comment